


TRIGGER

by kn96Archive



Category: GARO: Gold Storm Sho, GARO: Yami o Terasu Mono, 神ノ牙-JINGA- | Kami no Kiba: JINGA (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Guns, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, M/M, Mafia Boss!Jinga, Mildly Dubious Consent, Moral Dilemmas, Partners in Crime, Random Crossover, Touching, cop!Ryuga, crime/cop drama, some violence but nothing too bad, unnamed dead person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-06-28 02:30:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19802872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kn96Archive/pseuds/kn96Archive
Summary: Unlikely partnership formed in the face of an incoming crisis.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> crime/cop au  
> this is extremely self indulgent  
> also this is my first attempt on writing fanfics

He was forcefully ripped out of his unconsciousness with a splash of cold water. A headache shoots through his skull with the harsh wakening. Squinting his eyes through the pain and the bright light, he slowly makes out his surroundings. Drab, grey walls with suspicious looking stains. It's a small room, though it appears to be more of a holding cell. The room itself is unadorned safe for a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a chair set in front of him, which is currently occupied by someone.  
  
A man. Sitting down, he couldn't really tell but the other seems to be of a tall, lean build. Dressed in black, sitting with his legs crossed, he gives of the air of authority. He looks completely relaxed and unguarded, but his eyes are that of a predator. His most striking feature is his noticeably silver hair.  
  
_'He seems..familiar..?'_ Hit by a sudden wave of confusion, he decides to drop it.  
Looking down on himself, he notices that he is also sitting in a chair, although with much less freedom. His legs are strapped to the chair's legs and his arms are tied up behind the backrest. Shaking his head in an attempt to rid off the headache, he looks back up.  
  
  
"Good morning"  
  
"..w..where am i..?"   
  
"Somewhere, but not yet Hell. You held out quite well back then but now you're currently our hostage, so i advice you to stay put for the time being."  
  
_'Back then? What does he means by..'_  
  
_A flash. Gunshot ringing. Sounds of bodies hitting the floor. Chaos. He tried holding out, lashing out with bodily hits where his fists are quicker than his guns. By the time he notices he's already a lone man fighting a losing war. The last thing he remembers is a blow to the back of his head before everything blacks out._  
  
  
"If you're wondering why you are still alive, it was our aim to capture you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
The man tilts his head with a smirk growing.   
  
"Curious?" His headache throbs. That smirk is getting on his nerves. The other _chuckles_.  
  
"Well, calm down. We can't have you suddenly dying from a stroke down here, so i'll tell you.  
  
We know who you are and we know what you're currently trying to do."  
  
The man stands up, slowly making his way near without breaking eye contact.  
  
"Dougai Ryuga, a member of the Forces' Special Violent Crimes unit along with several others. The Forces' elit member, with a clean record and is apparently undefeatable. You were an upstanding personnel, though rebellious you still heed your orders. That is, until recently.  
  
You began an independent investigation of the higher ups after accidentally stumbling upon one of them in the middle of an illegal business. The fruits of your investigations reveals that they are indeed, corrupted. But you were unable to go any deeper lest you could end up putting your friends in danger. Is that right?" He stops just about a foot away, forcing Ryuga to look upward.  
  
His eyes narrows, "..How did you find out all of that?"  
  
"I have eyes and ears everywhere, the city is practically under my control."  
  
"Even so, what i do is none of your business."  
  
"It is. We can't afford to have you killed."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You and me, we want the same thing. To get rid of the corrupted. To take down the system. Also, none of my plans would work without you."  
  
"I don't see how switching to a less corrupted one would benefit you." Eyebrows furrowing, _'He's not making any sense'_   
  
"You could say..it's more of a personal drive for me.  
So here, i would like to propose an exchange. We would investigate more into your case seeing as how your way of doing things seems rather inefficient." He turns to the side, pacing slowly.   
  
"An exchange? What makes you think I'd work with you willingly?"  
  
His pacing continues, "Oh, you won't. There's no need to."  
  
"What?"  
  
A hand fall on his shoulder. He can feel the other closing in from behind. Dread grows.  
  
"I know one of your friends managed to infiltrate one of my branch group. I know _her_ movements and how she operates. To kill her off would be easy,-"  
  
Eyes widening, his entire body stiffens, blood ran cold. Panic rising as the words, _threats_ , got through.  
"-But, I would gladly turn a blind eye over that little fact if you accept my proposition."  
  
He tried to clamp down the panic. _A person in this line of job must be able to keep himself calm in any situation_. Cold sweat ran down his neck. The other removes himself from behind the chair, coming around to the front to face him again.  
  
"..What do you want in exchange?"  
  
The other bend down to his eye level, face mere inches away from his own. A hand travels up his thigh, lightly _caressing_ it, finally resting on the curve of his hip. The abrupt change in position and the sudden proximity sent all alarms blaring. His pulse is suddenly too loud in his ears. Being this close, he can see into the depth of the other's eyes. Deep and dark, with something he'd rather not put into words. Then, the smirk returns.  
  
  
  
  
  
**" _You_."**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> events prior to chap 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love(?) at first gunshot

_It was one brief moment when our eyes met with our guns locked onto each other._  
  
It was the first time they had ever encountered each other. A fated meeting, one could say. The start of everything.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
 _Mikage Jinga, current head of the Mikage family, the most influential mafia family in (and possibly out of) the country. He had taken over the position of the family head after the untimely death of his father._  
  
 _The circumstances surrounding his father's death was a suspicious one. There were speculations saying that his father had gone mad, culminating in him murdering his family and subsequently commit suicide, somehow leaving Jinga as the sole survivor. Others say that he was the one to kill his own father._  
  
 _The family's name had momentarily disappear from the criminal underworld before it had been brought back to it's previous (and had reached even higher) status some years following that._  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
 _'They managed to get this much information on him and still not a picture is found..'_  
  
None of the information they had been able to gather on the other came with a visual representation. The man never bothered to hide, yet no one managed to get a picture of him. The only guide they had to identifying him is a line of description from those interrogated:  
  
 _A silver haired demon._  
  
Vague at best.   
  
It could be anyone. It could be false. It could be an exaggeration, passed around to throw off whoever chose to pursue him.  
  
 _Silver_. Like the shade of the fang that he wears around his neck as a protective charm.  
Frustrated, Ryuga decides to not mull over it too much.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
"Are you clear with your order?"  
  
"..Yes."  
  
  
Just his luck.  
  
He received orders to raid a site reported to be the main operating spot for a drug cartel and illegal weapon business.  
  
Alone. Well, not literally, but technically. None of the men appointed as his team members is his own. _Strangers_. None of which he can truly depends on. He wants to trust them but his guts is telling him something is not right.   
  
There's nothing he can do. Rian's deep undercover, Takeru is somewhere only God knows, and Aguri is off on a different mission. They may be a team but they hardly ever gone on a mission together. The four of them are the best of their previous units, to have them working together on a particular mission means that it is very risky, and or of utmost importance.  
  
He breezed through the briefing, he chose to just roll with whatever is coming to him.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
The moment they locked onto each other, he somehow knows the other is the one they had been chasing after.  
  
The demon with silver hair.  
  
As if the time stood still, only they existed in that moment.   
  
  
\---  
  
  
Eyes deep enough to drown you, dark enough to hide monsters. One wrong step and you'll be swallowed in.  
If eyes could kill.  
  
Yet his posture is relaxed. _Too_ relaxed. As if nothing can touch him. As if nothing can kill him.  
  
Beat. A shift.  
  
 _Something changed_. His posture remained unchanged, but - that slow growing smile. It's unnerving. He knows. He knows he's being watched, observed. He knows and that little thought amused him. _Stare all you like, but you can't catch me_. Arrogance stemmed from his sheer confidence in his own abilities.  
  
What comes after was almost too fast for him.  
  
A shot rang. Reflex took over, barely managing to evade. The shot missed by a few centimetres. The other seem to moved as well, his own shot apparently missed it's target as well. _'When did I pull the trigger?'_  
  
By the time he recovered, the man had turned away, retreating.  
  
Hell broke out all around him. Even in the midst of chaos, the other stood out.  
  
Somehow, still feeling Ryuga's eyes on him, he glanced back with a smirk on his face. Teasing, _inviting_.  
  
  
He turned around, raising his right hand in a half wave. _See you again._  
  
  
What was that supposed to mean?  
  
  
The other slowly retreats into the shadow and Ryuga is swept away by the chaos.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
The next thing he knows, he's stuck inside a cell, strapped to a chair, again facing the same enigmatic man.  
  
 _Well, that was sooner than expected._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> direct continuation of chap 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MOAR TOUCHINGGG >8D

He floated in and out of consciousness, thanks to his injuries and overall fatigue. There's probably not much damage but coupled with the distress over his current predicament, it certainly doesn't help much with relaxing.  
  
In his hazy state, he vaguely registers rustling sounds, hushed voices and the pressure around his wrists disappearing.  
  
  
  
\---  
  
  
  
It's gone as soon as it comes.  
  
A blink and he's gone, the space in between the two of them suddenly feels too wide, leaving Ryuga in a strange sort of high.   
  
Pulse wild, breathing erratic, anticipating an attack that didn't come.  
  
  
"Now that it's clear, let's go through the plan.  
  
Considering what had gone down during the supposed operation that you did, it can be said that you have practically been abandoned, and I'm sure you feel the same. They would try very hard to convince everyone that _you_ , their ace, had fallen in the line of duty. They'll spun grandiose tales of your noble act of sacrifice in order to let your team members escape. They would probably set a search-and-rescue just for a show,-"  
  
The wild gestures stopped and he glanced around, "-couldn't imagine the _delight_ they must have felt over this success."  
  
  
By then, he had just barely managed to regain some control. _It's terrible_. His gut feeling was right, and there's nothing he can do about it.  
  
  
"But then, I'd be of no more use to you. Unless if you're thinking of sending me to _haunt_ them."  
  
The other fully turned towards him, wearing an expression of mock thoughtfulness.   
  
"Mmm, not really. I'd still have some use for you. Considering that as a 'dead man', you're practically mine and it's entirely up to me to do as I feel like."   
  
"You're insane. How are you even a human?"   
  
The other only smiled at that question, somehow looking rueful and sinister at the same time. _You know I am not one._  
  
"However, having you pronounced dead would hurt the long term plan so, I'll release you, on one condition."  
  
"And that is..?"  
  
"You are to return to me after you have recovered. The place and time shall be informed later by my men. In the case where you fail to turn up, the exchange will be nullified and I'm sure you know what that means."  
  
"Basically, you're telling me to sell my soul to you - out the tiger's jaw into the crocodile's. Either way I don't have a choice do I?" The last part came out as more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
"It's good that you get it fast enough." The pleased smile and the light tone makes it seem as of he's addressing a learning child.  
  
  
His current situation is not at all helpful. With his energy seeping away every second, arguing proves to be a difficult task, and fighting back is impossible, considering his physical restrictions. _What's new?_ He had gone through enough shit in his life. This is just another one in the long list of things.  
  
Then, his remaining energy just vanished, leaving bone-deep weariness. His body is already starting to shut down, pulse dropping and his vision blurring at the edges.   
  
  
All of this is just too much for his current mental state. He barely registers the other closing in the distance again. He can feel the other's fingers curling under his chin, tilting his head upwards. _The gesture being impossibly gentle_. "..You're hurt quite badly-"   
  
His head were slowly dropped, but those touch lingers. The other's hand slowly slides along his jaw line, fingers lightly pressing the base of his skull.  
  
  
The examination is interrupted by the door opening.  
  
"Mikage- _sama_ , the preparation is done."  
  
"Very well then-" The hand is pulled away, together with its warmth. "-I suppose it's a good bye for now."  
His consciousness slips away along with those fleeting touches.  
  
  
  
\---  
  
  
  
The next time he came around, he woke up to the soft beeping of the cardiac monitor, and the clean white sheets of the ward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapters are kinda short :/  
> currently working on chap 4 :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Healing time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a soft one

He woke up feeling sluggish but comfortable. The white of the ceiling, soft beeping, and the faint smell of disinfectant is enough to tell him of his current whereabouts.

Slowly, as he tries to break out of his state of drowsiness, he looks at his surrounding. The plain white ceiling and the soft blue of the walls, sunlight streaming in from the window on his left illuminating the room in warm light. The beeping of the cardiac monitor beside his bed showing his vital signs and the IV stand next to it, holding a bag of fluid connected to his left forearm. Experimentally, he tried moving his hand. It's weak, but he still can move it. A rustling from the other side of his bed pulls his attention away.

"You're up, Dougai."

"..Akizuki? What are you doing here?" That's..odd, seeing him of all people in this kind of time. The other is sitting in a chair on the right side of his bed, perusing through a bundle of papers, likely mission reports. He replied without glancing up from his documents.

"Rian told me to keep an eye over you, just in case. Something came up and she'll be back later. As for me, I just happens to be nearby, that's all."

Uptight as ever. They're most definitely _friends,_ although Akizuki himself wouldn't admit it. A stern man, with a fairly large build, as tough and as unmovable as a stone wall. But is also trustworthy and dependable. However, expressing emotions is certainly not his forte.

"How long was I out?"

"Around 3 days. We found you some distance away from the operation site, injured and unconscious."

"I see..-" _'..it's been 3 days since then.'_ "-..what about the operation?"

"They did manage to capture the culprit and the operation was considered successful."

The conversation falls, leaving a comfortable silence in between the two of them. Feeling a bit stronger, Ryuga tried to shift into a sitting position, only to be stopped by Akizuki who was alarmed by his soft grunts. Akizuki's hand on his chest gently urges him to lie back down. "Don't push yourself, you're not yet healed."

Sensing Ryuga's distress, he opted to raising the top half of the bed instead. He returned to his previous position restoring the quietness.

"RYUGA! I HEARD YOU GOT - AUGH!?!"

"Be quiet! This is the hospital."

The silence is unceremoniously broken by Takeru's loud voice, earning him a kick to the butt from Rian.

"How're you feeling?"

"..Okay, I guess. Still a bit sluggish though." Tentatively, he peeks downward. "Takeru?"

"*groans*"

"Seems fine." The groaning continues as Akizuki peels him from the floor.

"Ryuga-,"

"Yea?"

"-I'm glad you're fine. I came back as fast as I can once I heard that you went missing. The higher ups are being really secretive about that too. It's until Daigo decided to move that they finally loosen up and we managed to get you back."

"Akizuki did?" Surprised, he turned towards the other, seeing Akizuki leveling a reprimanding look at Takeru.

"Looks like he formed quite a soft spot for you."

"No way." The thought rather tickled him. _'He's not at all as hard as he seems.'_

The smile on her face falters a bit. "He went out and looked for you, of his own accord. The higher ups initially told us to wait until the investigations are done, but it was taking _too_ long. Daigo decided to go against them and mobilized his unit for search and rescue."

"..Won't that jeopardizes his position?"

"Well, they can try for sure. Not that the ones before them haven't."

_His unit._ He knows them, having been stationed there for a short time before. They were his students in the academy, and they later joined his unit. They are all good people, and they greatly admired him as a teacher, and as a leader. Ryuga couldn't be more grateful to have him as a friend.

His eyes caught Takeru's wandering gaze, who's trying to escape his current predicament. His face broke into a grin as he swiftly went up to his feet, making his way to the bed. Ryuga slowly raises his right hand as a greeting. "..Hey-"

"RYUGA, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

..Only to be smothered into the other's chest.

"WE WERE WORRIED, YOU IDIOT! We left you alone for a SHORT PERIOD and look what happened. Be thankful you survived or else I would've dragged you outta your grave and make you regret it." He's now stuck in a rough headlock from the other.

"T-Takeru.., can't breathe-" He normally don't have much problem going against Takeru, but in his current condition..even a soft tap could send him sprawling on the floor. Gradually, the hold on him loosen and he looks upward, seeing the other's expression softening.

"You'd better not make it a habit, got that?"

"..Yeah, got that."

Takeru released his hold on Ryuga, opting to ruffling his hair instead. "Good boy."

Takeru's _love_ is rough, but honest. Like the person himself. He feels more like a delinquent rather than a cop, but he's good at what he does. He used to have a notorious reputation of having bad behavioral conduct. Well, he still does now, to a lesser degree. But a certain _meeting_ had changed him. He proved to be a quite dependable person time and time again.

"By the way, Aguri sent his regards. Also, he told me to 'reprimand' you for your 'thoughtless actions'."

Wincing inwardly, Ryuga can almost see Aguri's expression in his mind; the sharp look in his eyes, the eerie glint of his glasses, _"What did I say about thinking before you act?"_

He really needs to apologize to Aguri when he's back.

Unknowingly, they had spent almost the entire day together just talking about random stuffs. Hell, even Akizuki somehow ended up staying that long, silently listening to their banters and occasionally joining in. As time passes, he slowly grows tired, breaking into a yawn. Nevertheless, spending time with them made him feels infinitely better. Sensing his exhaustion, they slowly made their leave to allow him to rest. Akizuki sent a quiet look and a nod before he left. Takeru made his way shortly after, gently ruffling his hair again prior to leaving. Rian is the last one to go, making sure he had went to sleep first beforehand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love Daigo so much


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new case arise.

After over a week being kept out of action, finally he is able to return. He had been discharged a few days earlier after completing his treatment course and some examinations, but were made to stay at home until _they_ deem him fit for duty. The traces of that day have more or less disappeared. His body no longer feels like it is threatening to crumble away in exhaustion. He's back at 100%.

Audible sounds of surprise can be heard the moment he step into the head quarter’s lobby. Colleagues from various departments surround him, asking for his wellbeing. Some voice out words of relief to his recovery, and some others congratulate him for his success.

The face his boss wears the minute Ryuga slams the door to his office open sure does makes it worth waiting.

The rest of the week is quite calm and uneventful. It wouldn't be a bad thing once in a while to have some peace in this line of job.

Or so he had thought.

The early morning serenity was broken by sudden, unpleasant news. Ryuga had just woken up when an urgent call from Rian came in.

_"Ryuga, a case."_

Judging by the tone of her voice, he can tell that it is something bad. Considering the types of crimes they're dealing with, their cases are always something worse than your common misconducts. However, some cases are beyond even that. This is one of those.

\---

The crime scene was nothing too horrible or gruesome. It was relatively _clean_ compared to some others that he had seen. That is, compared to the body that makes the center of attention in this place. The state of the body appears as if it has been attacked by a vicious animal, only instead of a beast it was done by a person. A fellow _human_. Calculated strikes, precise cuts, the usage of tools, weapons.

What makes it worse is that this is not the first body to be discovered in this fashion. There were previous ones; too similar it couldn't have been done by a different person. A case of serial killings with a very specific type of targets. Motive unknown. For months, they tried to track down the suspect with no success.

The apartment is blocked with tapes and signs, prohibiting outsiders namely civilians from venturing inside. The perimeter of the building is also similarly isolated. Curious onlookers are held at bay by the officers stationed outside the crime scene.

This particular case was originally not handled by his unit. However, the main division must've become unable to deal with it (unsurprising, they're _amazingly_ bad at doing their job properly). From what Rian had tell him on their way here, they now have full authority over this case and the data collected from previous ones will be transferred to them later. With luck, they'd be able to clear this up without taking too much time.

Even so, what they are sent to investigate here is the _scene_ itself. Any clues that could help reconstruct the process are highly valuable. As for the body, that's to be done by someone else.

"Please, over here."

Speak of the devil.

Ryuga turned around to meet the one who'd be responsible for the investigation of the body. He found himself a bit stunned when he instead comes face-to-face with a man in flowery shirt and red biker jacket.

"Hello, I am Dougai Ryuga, the current investigative officer appointed to this case. I believe this is the first time we meet, Dr..?"

"It's Kujou Kiriya. A pleasure to meet you too, officer."

The man's grip is surprisingly strong, and the air around him suggests something more than meets the eye. The easy, dimpled smile that accompanied his words clashes with the calculating look in his eyes. _'Such a..peculiar person.'_

"I've been told that you were responsible for the previous cases as well. So, what do you think this time?"

"Hmm, well normally it'll be hard to comment based only on external observations. Hence, why autopsy is important. But this one's,..quite unmistakably similar to the previous ones. It's possible to say that they're all the work of one person. Though, of course that can only be confirmed after thorough analysis."

The examiner then proceeds to get started on his work, from looking around the crime scene to the area surrounding the body. While technically working on different parts of the case, both the police unit and hospital's forensics actively discuss and investigates together seamlessly. The dead body is later collected by the hospital's forensic team for autopsy.

\---

Work at the crime scene unexpectedly took quite long. They returned to the office late into the day after going through every corner of the place. Even so, they still need to go back there. Can’t afford to miss anything; something seemingly insignificant could be crucial. The site is closed off for the time being as long as the investigation runs.

It’s gradually getting darker outside, last rays of the sun disappearing at the horizon giving way to night fall. Sitting at his table, he rereads the rough notes taken earlier at the scene. Flicking back and forth between the pages, slowly working to link the pieces together. A sudden vibration of his phone on the table breaks his concentration. Checking it, he sees a message from an unknown sender. Feeling dread and suspicion building inside him, he opens the message. There was no introduction or anything pertaining to the origin and sender of the message, only a location and time.

_< Club X, 2230 hrs three days from now >_

Eyes flicking to the calendar set on his table. Such an abrupt and mysterious message, but Ryuga knows what it's really about.

_"You are to return to me after you have recovered."_

_'Three days..Saturday eh? That's rather thoughtful of him.'_

It's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unexpected crossover xD  
> pacing kinda weird but whatever


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First time is important.

The clock is nearing midnight but the city is still far from sleep time. Every corner, every block are bustling with people looking to release the stress of working. The brightly lit streets offer almost no cover, not even for little critters to roam in the hidden corners of the buildings. _Almost_. He's not as good at putting on a disguise, but it is not necessary whenever you need to conceal yourself. With this many people around it's not that difficult to hide in plain sight. But his training was more than just that.

He did go the extra mile of making sure he's not being followed, though it seems to be unneeded. _'Never hurt to be careful.'_

Rounding the next corner, he reached his destination. A four storey building, somehow even more brightly lit then the streets. Loud music can be heard from inside. He's no stranger to places like this, work stuff brought him to various places. Strictly work related. He has never been to one of his own accord, for any reason other than work. Such places get on his nerves, too loud, too packed, _too vulnerable_.

Navigating through the crowd, he made his way deeper. The air is saturated with the smell of alcohol you could even get drunk just by breathing. Alcohol and drugs are exceedingly common. To find someone dying or dead from overdose are a norm.

Partway through, Ryuga's phone vibrates. Another message.

_< Fourth floor >_

_'He really does have eyes everywhere.'_ The men scattered around seemingly _too_ sober must've been his lackeys. Ryuga had expected this, but still it couldn't stop the anxiety buzzing under his skin.

Taking the elevator straight to the top floor, the elevator's door opens to a drastically different environment compared to the first one. The walls are covered in dark red velvet-like material, likely padding to absorb noise and keep the place as quiet as possible. The floor is divided to several sections, each occupied with rooms. Doesn't take much thinking to figure out exactly _what_ this floor is reserved for. _'He's messing with me.'_ The anxiety waning out, replaced by anger burning silently.

Suddenly he is approached by two men, both dressed in black suit. One of them spoke to him, "He's waiting for you, inside."

At the end of the hallway stood a large double door. The door swings open on his arrival as if it could sense his presence. Beyond the door is a large room resembling a hall, fitted with the same velvet-like material as the rest of the floor. Several more of those black-suited men fills up the area, surrounding a single large ornate sofa set at the end of the room. There, sat a lone figure with one leg crossed over the other.

"Here I am, _Jinga_."

The black-suited figures visibly tensed at his words. _The audacity_. Though the man himself looks mildly amused at his blatant lack of respect, casually twirling a glass of wine.

"I had expected nothing less of you. You look rather _tense_ tonight. Care for a drink?"

"Places like this just don't sit well with me. And, no, thank you."

"Well, that's unfortunate." He paused to take a sip.

"I'll go straight to the point, about the deal."

His eyes flick over to Ryuga. "So, what is your response?"

_A rhetorical question_. The smile on his face tells Ryuga that he already knows the answer. He just likes to mess around with you.

Ryuga's fate is already sealed before he set foot in the place. No other way but to accept it. He looked up, directly into the other's eyes.

"I accept it."

And there's no going back for him. Undeniably, this might be the worst decision he has ever made in his entire life. _An enemy of the enemy is a friend_ , eh? Honestly, he doesn’t know what else to do. He can't afford to endanger his friends - he has no choice but to brave this alone. That way he had no one else to be worried about, just himself.

"As expected, I know you wouldn't disappoint me." Following that, he signals for his men to leave the area and set down his glass of wine on the table next to the sofa. "All of you can leave now, work's done for today."

His men looked quite surprised by his orders, but heeded it anyway.

"Understood."

One by one disappears from the hall, leaving just the two of them. The situation seems to have diffused but the tension lining Ryuga's body remains. The atmosphere is not at all calm to him - rather, it felt even more _dangerous_ , going by the glint in the other's eyes and that smile on his face.

"What're you trying to do?"

"Ever so suspicious..? Just follow me."

He walked around the sofa to reach a set of wooden door situated behind it. Though smaller than the main door to the hall, it's certainly strange to have missed it entirely. Ryuga hesitated for a second, unsure whether to follow or not. His instincts telling him not to. _Turn away, run._ But he won't get the answers he sorely needed. _I don't run, come what may._ He steps out, going after the other.

He didn't know what to expect beyond that door, though he does have some ideas. His sense of space seems to have distorted slightly since stepping into the building. Pushing past the door, he set foot in yet another room. A coat hanger in the corner by the door, a desk with a chair next to it; off to the other side of the room is large king-sized bed. The room is however, _windowless_.

"Yeah, this room has no windows." Did he just- "Also it's completely soundproof. A quite perfect place to kill someone." He probably does randomly kill people as a hobby, considering the way he says it.

Jinga is shrugging his coat off, draping it over the chair. "Make yourself comfortable. This is more like my private suite, so we'd be undisturbed in here."

Opting to stand in front of the door, he regards the other with a serious expression. "What's your intention of bringing me here? If you want to discuss some matters we could've done just fine out there."

"Maybe, still there could be ears listening somewhere. Here, there's only you and me." The other moves closer. Instinctively, Ryuga took a step back. "And as for my intention, -"

Suddenly, he is pulled flush against the other's chest with a strong hold around his waist, keeping him in place. "- I thought I've made it _crystal_ clear that night." In the close proximity, the other's voice dropped in the following sentences.

He raises his hands, pushing against the other. He had to tilt upward to maintain the eye contact thanks to the height difference between the two of them. He can feel his pulse and breathing quickening in a fight-or-flight response. _'Why the hell is he so damn strong?'_

"Your pulse is rapid..there's no need to be so panicked here." The other dipped his head to trace along the angle of Ryuga's jaw with his lips, whispering those words.

"..How else do you expect me to react?" Gripping hard at the other's shirt, trying to keep his cool.

"Mmm, I don't know.., perhaps a bit more.. _receptive_." Lips brushing down the length of his neck, hands on his hip. He tried to shift away from the contact, his breathing getting a little _hard_. "Then you certainly got the wrong person."

"Pretty sure I didn't..which brings us to the next point, how _experienced_ are you?" The other's hands travels down the curve of his ass.

"-None, never had any need for it." His composure falters when those hands reach below, fingers curling in, and pressing him harder against the other.

"Nh-!"

Deep chuckles reached his ears. "Surprising, didn't expect you to be untouched. Suppose I should take my time with you. After all, _the night is long_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the limit of my ability  
> fill in the details yourself


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a chain of events over the past few days

_The day after the case, Thursday morning._

The day starts early today, as it always do whenever there's a case. Their team split up to cover for today's task - Rian went back to the crime scene, while Ryuga and Takeru head to the hospital for the autopsy.

They were given a short briefing before the autopsy started, seeing how neither of them have involved in one.

"That's just about it. Usually, there's a person appointed as the police's photographer but I'm not really sure how it works with you.." Dr Kujou's words trails of as he looks up from the papers in his hands towards the two standing in front of him.

"It's more or less the same."

"Like he said. So, I'll be handlin' the photography."

"E-h, sure you're up for the ride, buddy?" He raised one of his eyebrow, smirking in an obvious challenge.

"Better not underestimate me too much, doc." Takeru shot back, accepting with full confidence.

"Good, then." Dr Kujou seems satisfied with the reply. "The autopsy'll start shortly and for the time being, you can wait here. It's fine if you want's to go around, just don't stray too far."

"Got that."

The two of them then went of to the mortuary, lightly chatting on their way out.

"..They're kinda feel similar, Takeru and the doctor." Ryuga smiles to himself, amused by his thoughts.

\---

_The next day, Friday - afternoon_.

A call came in early in the day. It was from the hospital’s forensics office – the prelim report is done and ready for taking. The team meeting had to be postponed until the report is available since it is important for the next step in their plan.

Ryuga went alone to pick it up. He was welcomed by Dr Kujou on his arrival, as always in his flowery shirt and that relaxed smile of his.

“Here’s the initial report. I’ve roughly compiled the autopsy findings in this, including the blood toxicology result. You were lucky it came in earlier today.”

He takes the document handed to him. “That’s good to hear. Won’t be able to go further without this. Thank you for your hard work, doctor.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m used to it. The full report’ll take some time, we’ll give you a call once it’s ready for picking.”

Dr Kujou pat his shoulder as a gesture of goodwill. “You’re doing a dangerous job, so be careful out there.”

“..Okay.”

The other parts way with a smile.

Something in the other changed slightly then. Not in his demeanor or even his smile, but it was in his eyes. It was very brief, almost unnoticeable. Like he was foreshadowing something. Those words echoed in his mind all the way back to the office.

They are already there by the time he came in. Handing the report over, the meeting begins.

A serial murder case with the killer still on the run. This one has been going on for quite some time. So far, the body count is 5, the latest one found just about a few days ago. The case was initially handled by the main Crime Investigation Division, but it was later proved to be impossible for them. As of now, the case is now placed under their jurisdiction (as it should have been since the start, but _some_ people are just that egoistic).

"Now that it's handed over to us, it's our responsibility to stop him. I’ve gone through the report and after everyone had given it a once through we can discuss about it later.”

Takeru took the report from Rian and flips through it. “..It was really a violent one. Just going through this remind me of it.”

“We’ve seen many bad things but this one is plain horrible.”

“What’s worst is there’s almost nothing on the killer. Either we’re missing something, or he’s really that good.” He snaps the document close at that.

“Regardless, for now we’ll have to work with what we have at hand. Now, how should we track him down?” Rian turns towards the two of them with a serious expression.

"I can try going under, find out his hidey hole and stuff. We could plan from there."

"Possible, but that'll take too long. There's also the possibility he'd sense us coming somehow, and that'll be really bad. Unless..-"

"Unless..?"

"We use someone as _bait_."

"But wouldn't that put them in danger? Also, we have no way to make sure he'll bite it."

To come up with a sound strategy and plan is as grueling as carrying it out. Though honestly, these kind of things aren't really his forte. He works better on field, planning out his steps while on the run. All of this higher brain stuff is more Rian's, and Aguri's thing. Speaking of which-

"By the way, did you hear anything from Aguri?"

"Oh, yeah. He's just wrapping up some stuff after his mission and he'll be back by tomorrow. Should be in on Monday."

"That's good to hear. I'll brief him when he's back, we can discuss the case a bit first. See if we can come up with a potentially viable plan."

"Ok, then I'll leave that to you."

\---

_Saturday morning._

The loud booming sound of the airplane’s engine breaks through the space. Stepping out of the plane, the passengers are greeted by the cool crisp air of the early morning. Nevertheless, the airport is always busy, filled with people going in and out of the country.

Sharp eyes scanned the areas, looking for any potential danger though there's none to be found. Still he can't help it. _A habit_. He had long since learnt to trust people a bit more, but some things are just hard to change. He grabbed his luggage and made his way out.

A vibration in his pocket notifies him of a new message.

_< I'm at the waiting area nearby the arrival hall. >_

Wasting no time, he quickly searched for the one who sent the message. _'There she is.'_ Dressed in a pastel orange coloured blouse and dark brown skirt, sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting area, she seems like normal people. He knows better.

As if sensing him, she looks up.

"Welcome back, Aguri."

"Hello, Rian. It's quite a rarity to see you of all people."

"Hmm, I guess. But circumstances lead to this. Did you read the e-mail I sent you yesterday?"

"As expected, straight to business."

"You know I don't like beating around the bush."

"Yes, I did. It's no surprise they end up handing the case over to us, in fact they should've since the beginning. So, you'd like to discuss strategies with me?"

"Naturally. We have some ideas but it's not coming together that well."

"I see. Then let's go, we can discuss on the way to the head quarters."

"Okay!"

\---

_Friday - morning._

Kiriya stared hard at the paper in his hand. The laboratory result for the blood sample he sent. It came in the morning, just in time before he started on the prelim report. Nothing bad or surprising written there - everything's normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

That did nothing to calm his suspicion.

 _Something's off_. He just knows.

They all died, _killed_ in the same, violent manner. Repeated stabbing. Bruises around the wrists likely from being tied up. But not a sign of struggle. _Did the victims trusted the killer to that extent?_

There should at least be some..

Wait-

Triggered by a sudden memory, he pulled up the pictures taken during the autopsy.

There it is, the one thing separating it from the previous cases.

There _was_ some signs of violence in this one.

But why?

Standing up, he heads towards the department's refrigerator. Opening it, he pulls out a vial of blood - an extra sample he made during the autopsy, _just in case_. Still in good condition.

Grabbing his phone, he taps in a string of numbers.

"Hey, 'sup. Just wondering if you're busy. No? Good. Can you do something for me? I'm sending over a sample, can you check it out?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the messy chapter  
> and a sudden turn of event? perhaps


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation continues, and the aftermath of the storm

_Monday morning._

Stepping into the office, he is immediately greeted by the sight of files upon files piling on the table of the meeting room. They're all stuffs pertaining to previous cases, collected and compiled over time starting from the first case over half a year ago. The amount of data they'd have to go through is rather..daunting.

"Mornin', things already looking quite intense this early in the day." Even as he speak, Takeru is still carrying some more stuffs over.

"Those are..?"

"Pictures and full autopsy reports for the previous cases. Hup-! And done." With a heave, he dropped the last of it on the table. Slapping his hand on top of the pile with a sigh, "Looks like it gonna take a _long_ time to get through this."

Ryuga can just nod along to that statement. _It sure does looks like it_. Tedious work, but still needs to be done. They were just about halfway through the first case when Rian and Aguri return from the airport. After a short round of greeting and 'welcome back's (and Ryuga asking for Aguri's forgiveness), everyone begin working away at the pile, picking out important points and mapping up strategies.

.

Finishing last words on the whiteboard, Rian turns around to face the table. She taps on the whiteboard with the pen to attract their attention.

"After going through all currently available information, we now have a working plan to approach the case. Seeing as the suspect's movement is hard to trace, this may or may not work to our favor. Nevertheless, giving up is not an option. So for a rundown, first we have narrowed down the potential areas for his next 'hunt'. Now, to identify the suspect. By taking his habits into consideration we'll approach him accordingly. He ought to know that he's currently a wanted man, we need to be careful so this part might take some time."

"As I have been told, there was an idea to reel him in with designated 'bait'. While it is quite dangerous, I thought it might just work. Only, we appoint someone among _us_ as the bait. Naturally, the person would have to be in a disguise and put up a convincing act." Aguri adds in from the side, continuing the train of sentences. "And after much consideration, the role will be taken by Ryuga."

"Eh, me?" He looks at the other in confusion.

"A plan to bait him, eh? But, isn't Rian's the pro when it comes to disguise?"

"His _staple diet_ , in other words his targets is _men_. No matter how good she is, this time it'll be quite impossible for her to keep her disguise in this case."

"Hence, why _you_ have to be the bait for this operation, Ryuga." Rian's hand falls on his shoulder, emphasizing her point.

"O-kay..but how are we going to do it? You know I'm not that good at this kind of thing."

"You don't have to worry about that. Commands will come from Rian and me. You just have to move according to our instructions."

"With that part cleared, let's get started. First we need to get your costume ready. Come, follow me." Without further due, she pulls Ryuga up to his feet and drags him away.

"Ah, wait!-"

Having been left alone, Aguri turns toward Takeru, imploring him for his thoughts. "Do you have anything you'd like to comment on?"

"Nah, I'll leave the planning to you. Just-"

"Just..?"

"-Ya know, what the killer’s _kink_ seems to be. _Ryuga_ , in _that_ outfit..that'll be quite dangerous."

*sigh* "..Don't you ever think of anything else."

\---

By the time he got home his energy level is down to just about 30%. The combined effect of working on the case files and being practically dragged around the place by Rian is really tough. Wonder how she still have so much energy left. The impromptu _shopping date_ for his costume was enlightening at the very least.

.

The purpose of the trip had been accomplished, however there’s no sign of Rian slowing down. Ryuga had since been lost within all these _laces_ and _frills_ around him. _How do anyone even put this on?_ So a line of thought crosses his mind over a particularly complicated looking set. He was still pondering over it when Rian calls for him from somewhere ahead.

"Hey, Rian. Is this really needed?"

"Why yes, of course."

"..For what, exactly?

"Hm, for whatever needs you have. Who knows, maybe you have a secret _lover_ somewhere.."

Ryuga almost, _almost_ tripped on his own feet.

"Eeh, I don't have any."

Rian turned around to face him with a worried expression. "..Should I set you up on a blind date?"

"..No, thank you."

Just a feeling that he might see a certain _someone_ if he go on one.

The shop attendant's face when Rian told her all of that stuff is for _him_ instead.., he has never seen anyone turns _that_ red. She honestly looks like she's going to pass out. Poor girl. Rian sure looks rather smug though.

.

He went in without switching the lights on, choosing to roam in the dimly lit room. It's nightfall by then, streetlights stream into the room through the partially uncovered window. Sitting down on the edge of his bed letting the tiredness seeps in. Tiring, indeed, but it was fun. It had always been fun going around with Rian. Reminds him of those days when they were younger. She'd take him to places with the excuse of having him help her work. Back then when he's still _unfriendly_ , prefers to be alone, and a bit afraid of letting anyone in.

Shaking his head fondly at the memory, meeting them really changed him for the better.

Light reflecting of an object glinting at the corner of his eyes. Turning sideway, he catches sight of a USB drive left on the side table. From _him_.

\---

Like a storm, eventually it passes. The silence that hangs in between them right now feels very much like the calmness after a heavy rain.

Their prior activities left Ryuga exhausted, having spent up all of his energy trying to keep up with whatever Jinga is doing to him. Though, maybe his mental is more affected than he think as the realisation slowly sinks in. He did _that_. He, a cop, slept with likely the most dangerous and influential mafia lord of the country. For what?

_Information, apparently_. His mind added. Can't help feeling like he's being used. Maybe he is. He's struggling to come to term with what they just did. It's not that he didn't see it coming; it's more like being swept away by a tornado. Seeing it coming does nothing. Not to mention that Jinga is... _relentless_. He's not sure if he could survive any more than that.

"You're rather quiet." Came the voice beside him, distracting him from his current train of thought.

"..Thanks to you." Snide clear in his reply, though he couldn't help but notice the hoarseness of his voice.

"Well, you didn't seem to oppose it. Not from the sounds you were making then."

His face burns from the remark. How shameful. He couldn't fight it. Having his body explored in ways it never had made his mind fuzzy from stimulation. He's never one to let his guard down around strangers, much less dangerous ones. Whatever Jinga did to him made him docile, allow himself to be taken in such a way. What scares him most is how a part of him seems to like it.

He shot up from the bed as if it burns him, wincing when the abrupt movement causes his lower back to flare up in pain.

"Shouldn't have done that."

"Shut up." He gingerly moved himself to the edge of the bed, slowly swinging his legs over.

"Going already?"

"There's no use staying any longer."

Chuckles can be heard from the other. "No need to be so shy."

Sighing, he can feel the growing annoyance but he's already too tired to deal with it. Carefully he stands up. The pain is there but moving slowly at least makes it easier. He can feel eyes following his every movement as he get dressed. Opting to leave his shirt untucked, he made a beeline towards the door. He needs to get out of here, _fast_.

"Wait." His hand stilled on the doorknob.

"You forgot something."

"What-" he turned around just in time to catch something flying to his head.

"This is..?"

"Your 'reward', as per the agreement."

"Reward?" The absurdity of it all. So he really is-

"It contains surveillance data from the cameras set around an abandoned housing complex northwest of the city. You should find something interesting in there."

He only replied with a silent look before exiting. He didn't get past a few steps beyond the double doors before he was whisked away by the black-suited men, and the next thing he knows is he's already home. No, not at his doorstep - but _inside_ his room. They do not only know where he lives; apparently they also know how to break in.

"..Shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> continuing ch 7's weird flow  
> wrote both chaps roughly simultaneously, hence  
> and some hints over what happened in that room *wriggles eyebrows*


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final preparations.

Within the next few days, they managed to break down the suspect's pattern of movement as well as his most possible modus operandi. Besides, from the various datas obtained, and after analysing his track, they succeeded in narrowing down his next potential _hunting grounds_.

Back in the office's meeting room, a large map of the city is displayed on the whiteboard with three location circled in red marker.

"After a thorough check, we managed to identify these three locations as the most possible spots. On top of that, we also succeeded in ID-ing the suspect and his habits. Good job boys!"

Rian is smiling widely looking _very_ proud. The one's sitting at the table, nowhere near as bright-looking this morning. Ryuga is half flopped on the table with his face down, and Takeru slouches in his chair, eyes barely open. Even the usually perfect Aguri is sporting dark rings under his eyes.

"Of course." He says, adjusting his glasses.

"..It was pure hard labour.."

"..yeah.."

Faint murmurs can be heard coming from Takeru, and Ryuga's equally weak-sounding mumbles answers.

"Hey, brighten up! Things are just getting started here, don't let your guard down yet."

"..It's amazing how you're so unaffected."

"That's a secret. Now, get up!"

Takeru begrudgingly pulls himself up and Ryuga pushes himself off the table, both sitting straight.

"All that's left to this is to keep an eye on these locations to get the right one."

"About that, I've gained access to the surrounding surveillance cameras at each location. I can start immediately."

"Then, I'll check out the places on foot. Might catch something else that could be of use."

"Good idea. I'll go with you, we'll have more coverage that way. Ryuga, you'll join with Aguri."

"Okay. We'll let you know once we found him."

"Likewise. Now, let's get to work."

The group dispersed on her words, off they go to where they need to be.

\---

Giving one last check through the map and notes, she looks up towards the building in front of her. An inconspicuous looking place, already been there for some time and had built a presence of it own.

"Perfect."

Pulling out her phone, she made a call. Takeru should be done with his part by now. She idly paces around the place while waiting for the call to be picked up; a telltale click signifies that.

"Takeru? Are you done? Yeah? Good. Come around, I'll send you the location. Thanks."

As the call ends, she fiddles with her phone, sending a message to the group chat with the location tagged.

_< Check this place out.>_

Almost immediately her phone buzzes with replies from her teammates.

_< I'm on my way. >_

_< Ok. Aguri's on it. >_

Takeru shows up from around the corner less than 5 minutes after. He gave her a rundown of the three hotspots as they walked up to the front of the building.

It's a three-storey building standing on its own, facing one of the main roads in the area. The building itself is situated at the crossroad, surrounded by houses and other similarly sized buildings, likely apartments. The ground floor is turned into a local bar and the upper two are rooms.

The day is still early but the bar's door is already unlocked, in preparation for its operating time later in the day. Their entry is greeted by the chime hung on the door, alerting the master of the place. The person, a man in his forties, was busy arranging the place when they got in.

"I'm sorry, but it's not open yet." Regardless, he addresses them with a friendly smile.

"Ah, no. We're here for a business." Swiftly, both of them present their badges to the person. "We would like your cooperation, if it not too burdensome?"

"Aah, is that so. What would you need me for?" The man seems startled at first but recovered pretty quickly.

"Actually..-"

\---

"So this place-"

"-Will be our base of operation, yes." Rian replied while marking the place with a star in red marker to distinguish it from the hotspots. "I've gained the Master's cooperation and permission to use the place. He owns the entire building and currently lives on the second floor. The third floor is unoccupied, by the way."

"There's also an extra room in the bar that we can use." Her words are picked up by Takeru, who just finished sketching a rough layout of the bar and the top floor.

"I see, so we can temporarily set Ryuga in the top floor, and we can use the extra room as mission control room. Impressive work." Came Aguri's approval and input as he closely inspect the floor plan, already setting things up in his mind.

"It's close to the target locations, too. So it's really convenient." Ryuga adding in from his spot, leaning against the table. "All places are already under surveillance, we're good to go anytime."

"Great, now we can get the next stage started. We have the rest of the week to set everything up, but it'll be the best if it could be done fast." Rian set her marker down, turning around to face the boys.

"Since we're all going to be involved, it'll be easier to assign a role to each of us. If we're turning the extra room as mission control, naturally I'd have to be behind the counter as it allows me easy access to the room."

"Then, me and Rian'll be around as local customers. It's better to avoid having a set pattern of movement, should keep 'em from getting suspicious too soon."

"And I'm there to bait the hook. I'll make sure to string him up."

With everyone's role set, the meeting is concluded. Now, the real mission can finally begin.

\---

The phone call came as a surprise. He was just wrapping up the day when his phone vibrates with a call from an unknown number. _Strange_.

"..Hello?"

"-Hey, it's me, Kujou from the hospital's forensics. Can we meet up for a bit?"

Following the directions given, it brought him to a fairly secluded bar not too far from the town center. Nothing too hidden or too obvious, just enough to attract random passer-by. The warm lighting gives it a sort of cozy vibe.

There aren't many people inside; it's still quite early in the night after all. So far, nothing had trip off his alarms yet.

"Hey, over here!"

The call came from somewhere to his right. Turning towards the sound, he spots the doctor at one of the tables near the back. As usual, the man is clad in his signature flowery shirt and red leather biker jacket.

"You're rather early, I assume you got of your job pretty early too?" The easy-going smile slips in place.

"I wish, we're still working hard on the case. Just now we got started on the real job."

Ryuga takes his place on the opposite site. It's not that he didn't trust the doctor; just a personal preference. As cozy as it may seem, it is still an unfamiliar place.

"So, what's the matter? I don't think you called just to have a drink?"

"As expected, you're really sharp." For a moment, he can swear the glint in the other's eyes changed.

Dr Kujou reached into his jacket and pulls out a..game disk?

"Here I need you to return this to your buddy. He challenged me to clear it in a week but I managed in less than three days so make sure to let him know."

With a wide and somewhat smug grin, he handed the item over to Ryuga.

The sudden switch is jarring. Whatever he saw in the other's eyes just now couldn't have been this.

_Strange_.

"..Ah, sure. I'll let Takeru know." Everything is confusing but he'll go with the flow for now.

"With that out of the way, you're gonna stay for a drink?" One eyebrow raised.

"'Afraid I'll have to turn down that offer. I don't drink much, especially when I'm still actively working."

"I see. It's fine. Be careful on your way home. It's rather dangerous out there lately." Again, the same strange feeling. The relaxed smile never left, his voice unwavering.

"..Got that."

Pocketing the disk into his jacket, he made his way out.

The strange feeling followed him home. _Deja vu_ , the doctor told him something similar several days ago. There was certainly a cryptic message hidden underneath.

Pulling out the disk, he opened the case. Just a normal game disk..

Eh?

Taking the disk out, he notices a fold of paper tucked inside. He unfolds the paper to find out it contains an SD card and a message from Dr Kujou. The paper itself is a printed image of a person's hand holding out a kitten with the caption _'It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.'_

At the lower corner of the paper, some words are scribbled in.

_'Took you for a ride.'_

And Ryuga can only blinks over the realization that washed over him.

However, what could be in the SD card to warrant such secrecy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me 3 MONTHS to get this right, but even so I'm still a bit unsatisfied :/ whatever, now I can get going on to the REAL SH*T >8D
> 
> ok so I actually had so many sh*t going on during that 3 months(including but not limited to almost getting depressed) but I SURVIVED F*CK YES
> 
> I already have ch 10/11 partly written down so hopefully it won't take too long
> 
> thanks for reading this btw (send hearts)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission start

It is a quiet night, slightly chilly after a late afternoon rain. The neighbourhood is calm and somewhat removed from the noise of the city. The people living here prefer to mind their own business rather than mingle around. Situated some distance away from the city center but not completely traditional either. Just somewhere in the middle.

Perfect for when you need to escape the bustling city life and take some time for yourself.

This kind of night are rare there. It's a nice change. Just you, and the stray animals out in the streets. The orange light of the streetlamps provided some warm undertones to the cool surrounding.

Unknowingly, his feet brought him to a secluded part of the area. A three storey building at the crossroad with the ground floor is turned into a bar. Eh, why not?

It's pleasantly warm inside the bar. Not much people around here, either. A lady sitting alone at one of the tables, immersed in her own world. Few other customers scattered around the place in small groups, talking amongst themselves. The bartender's busy behind the counter. A man is sitting there at the counter, quietly drinking. Subconsciously, his eyes follow the bright amber of the drink.

To the hand reaching out, picking up the glass.

The soft tan of his exposed forearm visible even under the dim lighting.

Oh, he noticed.

For a moment, their eyes meet.

The warm shade of the other man’s eyes draw him in, captivated by the way the light reflecting in them, giving it a golden tint.

The man simply returns his gaze with a friendly smile.

The skip beat in his chest tells him what he needs to know.

And he smiles back.

\---

_Friday morning._

"So to make things clear, all of us will be dressed according to our roles. And seeing as I'm the best at this, I will be setting your outfits." Waves of confidence can be sensed coming off of Rian. In high spirits, as always.

The day started off quite early. The setting up for their temporary operating base had been completed two days before. After double checking everything, all that left is to finalize their respective roles. As their current suspect is rather elusive, they have to go just as hard at being stealthy.

Hence, here they are in their office dressed as their characters with various articles of clothing lying around on the meeting room table. Rian who is busy arranging them to a more sensible pile, dressed in a casual peach-coloured blouse. Aguri and Takeru are sitting nearby while sifting through the finalized strategy plan.

"Mine is simple enough, but Takeru's looks rather.. _elaborate_." Having casted himself the role of the bartender, Aguri is simply dressed in a white shirt and a black waistcoat paired with a pair of black trousers.

"Supposedly I am a part of a..- local biker gang, or something. So, yeah." Takeru momentarily paused while flipping through the highly detailed guide handed to him by Rian. "Eh, I kinda likes it though."

"Well, you already looks like thug on most days. It's not even that much of a difference." Aguri jibed while leveling a look towards him.

"The fuck you mean by tha-" His minor outburst cut off by Rian.

"Okay, okay, enough of that. Both of you, behave!"

Silently, both of them heeded her command.

"So now that you two are done, we're left with just one person." She turned towards the storage room door - which is currently used as a makeshift changing room - and knocked twice. "Ryuga, you're done?"

Rustling of clothes can be heard coming from inside the room, followed by sound of something falling down.

"-Yeah, in a bit-"

More shuffling, more things falling.

"..Ryuga? Is everything okay there?"

"-I'm good. This place sure is messy..-"

His remark is followed by the sound of the door unlocking.

"It's kinda difficult to put on, but overall I think they look fine."

A loud, sharp intake of breath can be heard from Takeru, while Aguri is frozen speechless.

"So, how do you think?"

Silence.

"..Hey, guys, you're okay?"

*inside*

_'Shit, fuck, what the hell is this?! I know he looks good but this is too much. I swear I'm feelin' things here!'_

_'.....WHAT'_

"Takeru? Aguri?"

"Eh? Uh, yeah. We-we're fine. Heheh."

Takeru is visibly _sweating_ and laughing nervously. Aguri remained speechless, but is gradually getting redder in the face. Needless to say, the impact of what they're seeing is overwhelming. Ryuga grows more worried over their apparent state while Rian continues to look _incredibly_ smug over her achievement.

"Looks like it worked better than expected." Rian give him a long, appraising look while nodding to herself. "But I wonder what makes it so.. _effective_?"

"The outfit, I guess."

"Dude, have you tried seeing yourself in the mirror once?" Came Takeru's remark after barely regaining his composure.

"..I look like a normal human..?" Ryuga answers, clearly confused.

 _Oh God._ "..Okay..Though, I'm surprised _that_ fits." Takeru, thoroughly exasperated, decides to steer away from the previous topic.

"Yeah, me too. It is rather tight on the upper part." Ryuga agreeing, tugging on his visibly tight _leather_ pants. "But why leather?"

"Why, for extra effect of course." Says Rian while slapping his butt to drive her point across.

Takeru looks like he's in _pain_.

Aguri has long been out cold.

The costume preview ended shortly after to allow the members to sufficiently recover and collect the needed equipments. Despite appearing rather calm, the tension is quite high among the four of them this time. It has been long since the last time they get to work together, everyone's feeling quite excited.

Afterward, the four of them returned to the office to resume their session. Back to their usual work wear, they gather around the meeting room table.

"Before officially starting our operation, I'll give you an overall rundown of our strategy. I will be stationed behind the counter, while Rian and Takeru would come and go at random intervals. It'll be the best to avoid making a set pattern. Both of you will need to mix around with the locals, make it look natural." Both who were addressed nod affirmatively. Having noted their response, Aguri turns towards Ryuga.

"Since you will be directly is contact with the suspect, you'll have to be extra careful with how you act. We need him to be convinced." Pausing to nod towards Rian, "Throughout the mission, the two of us will be on alert. We might give you extra commands or changes things on the spot as we see fit."

"Got that."

"For ease of communication, we'll be using _these_ -" On cue, Rian hands them a small box, "-These are compact in-ear comm unit with seperate mic unit. They're small enough to be unnoticed, unless if you stare really hard that is."

"Mine looks different, though."

"Because you'll be _looked at_. So I had it made to look like something you'd have to be wearing at all time, like a hearing aid. Yours have the mic built in as well."

"Other than that, it also contains a voice recorder, so we won't be missing any crucial evidence."

"This tiny thing is quite amazing." Turning the device, admiring it. _Should be careful with this, just in case._

For the rest of the meeting, they are given a detailed lecture on how to properly operate and utilize the communication device by an enthusiastic Rian. By the end of it smokes can be seen rising from the other members heads. They wrapped up the day at that and returned home to prepare themselves for the mission the next day.

\---

For the next week or so, he'd be leaving the house for a while. He'll be temporarily stationed close to the base of operation - to get him more acquainted to the area. It's not unusual for him to leave home for a period of time, given his job. It's almost a part of the job description.

Sometimes he have to watch and wait for days, holed up in his car or in a nearby abandoned building, waiting for the suspect to make their move. The Main Division sure does like to give him random assignments. They're either _stupidly_ tedious, or dangerous enough that any lesser man would've literally died.

 _Those slave drivers_.

Feels good to be out of that unit. For the time being, at least. While being a separate unit, the Violent Crimes unit is mostly active only once in a while. Often time, only the office is there, but the rest of them are off on different cases.

Being able to move on your own without having to adhere to orders is _freeing_.

There aren't much things that needs packing beyond the essentials. It doesn't even take him more than 10 minutes. Sitting on his bed, he goes through his phone for any messages. Coming across messages from a certain someone bring to mind something he'd been putting off for quite some time.

Subconsciously his eyes turn toward the thumb drive resting on the table. That reminds him, he hasn’t checked it out yet.

_"You should find something interesting in there."_

Something interesting, eh?

The only other thing that would interest him is what can give him the answers he'd been looking for. Otherwise, not worth his time.

(Despite having second thoughts about secretly working with Jinga, Ryuga can't help but feels that the man holds the key to that.)

Such a small thing..He's feeling reluctant - is it really fine to be doing this?

_Useless thing to wonder._

He can _see_ that infuriating smile in his mind.

Might as well use it.

He picks up the drive, plugging it into the laptop.

"..This is-"

"Mikage- _sama_ , he's connected."

Ah, a pleasant news at such an odd hour. It didn't take that long at all.

"Good."

\---

_Present day, Sunday night._

All of their attentions snapped to one place the moment the man enters the bar. Discreetly, they kept their eyes and ears open, observing his every moves and listening to every word he spoke. Aguri silently studies him from behind the counter while preparing drinks without missing a beat. Rian who stays at the back quickly pulls up various notes saved in her phone, making confirmations. At the same time communicating with Takeru stationed in the opposite building. Thanks to his prior alert, they are already prepared.

Tall, young male, probably aged around mid to late 20s. Light brown hair with light skin, usually seen dressed in dark clothes. Not yet fully sure whether he's the one, but he does matches the description given by the witnesses. Finally, things seem to be working along after having spent the previous day in naught.

Immediately, he made a beeline towards Ryuga. So far, things are moving according to plans.

"Would you like a drink?" Aguri's question came out smoothly with practiced ease.

"Ah, whatever he's having, then. I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight." The man replies daringly, gesturing towards whatever Ryuga is drinking.

Such a bold choice.

"Are you sure? You'll get burned, you know." Amused drawl came from Ryuga, already expecting the result.

 _"Hah, that shit burns like acid buddy."_ Takeru's interjection via the comm had her suppressing a laugh. It's true, though. Wonder how Ryuga managed to develop a taste for it.

"Hope you don't regret it."

The man picks up the glass set in front of him, moving to take sip. "Here goes nothing-"

Only to choke and cough on the first taste.

_"'Said so."_

"-Damn, this _does_ burns." The man sounds raspy after a round of coughing.

His reaction elicited laughter from Ryuga. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanted to get this done last month but MCO made me lost track of time :3

**Author's Note:**

> greetings  
> trying my best to get the characterisation somewhat accurate, and keep everything cohesive


End file.
